Oleg Mikheyev of the center-left Fair Russia party has addressed
the government and the Public Chamber with a request to institute
the post of plenipotentiary for veterans’ issues, or the
veterans’ ombudsman, the RIA Novosti reported on Monday. Mikheyev
wrote in the letter that he was ready to prepare and draft the
bill himself if the initiative meets no objections.

“Introducing this post is necessary due to the need to
maximally protect the veterans’ rights in Russia, especially
veterans of the Great Patriotic War [WWII] and other wars, the
need to help them cope with the hardships of the transitional
period economy including the constant changes in the
legislation,” the letter reads.

A special ombudsman could also speed up the solution of many
veterans’ problems that are currently hampered by bureaucracy,
the MP noted.

Mikheyev added that the legislative move would be timely as the
country readies for the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of
victory over Nazi Germany in 2015.

The dedicated federal law on lists five categories of veterans,
including a separate one for the veterans of the Great Patriotic
War. They are all entitled to various benefits, from monetary
payments to free public transport and reduced communal payments.

The number of the war veterans, widows and orphans was estimated
at about 3.2 million in mid-2013.

In late 2012 the Justice Ministry registered the political Party
of Veterans of Russia that lobbies both state authorities and
business structures for more benefits to veterans.